Super Bowl (February 7, 2016) *

Develop a winning Super Bowl "food game plan" by thinking like a football player on the playing field. Only, instead of the opposing team, your field is filled with food and refreshments. Check out, "Your Big Bowl Game Plan for Healthy Eating" to learn about the eight winning strategies.

Looking for a healthier dip recipe to take to a Super Bowl party? It is low in calories and fat, high in nutrients, and tastes amazing. Bonus, this recipe is super easy to make! Check out this Black Bean & Corn Salsa by Making HealthieRDecisions Blog.

Check out this YouTube video with TV Chef, Martie Duncan, who shares some food safety tips for you to practice on Super Bowl Sunday and beyond. http://youtu.be/zeK85i5dyvg

Oatmeal Monday (Second Monday each year - February 8, 2016) *

Wikipedia describes Oatmeal Monday as a "traditional holiday observed the ancient universities of Scotland on the second Monday of February."

The students' frugal diet consisted mainly of oatmeal made into porridge. Periodically, they were given a long weekend to replenish their oatmeal supplies. Eventually, this was just established as just this one official Oatmeal Monday.

Enjoy these oatmeal recipes on Oatmeal Monday and throughout the year!

Almond Day (February 16)

Most of the fat in almonds and other nuts is heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Eaten in moderation, nuts can be an important part of a healthy diet. Almonds also are a source of Vitamin E.

Pistachio Day (February 26)

Though nuts are higher in fat than some foods, most of the fat is heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Eaten in moderation, nuts can be an important part of a healthy diet. More information and recipes for pistachios at:

Chili Day (last Thursday of February each year -- February 25, 2016) *

The common denominator of various chili's is they are hot and spicy. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included. The beans choice may include pinto beans, kidney beans, great northern beans or navy beans.

Some chili recipes omit the beans while others omit adding meat. Meat choices may include such choices as beef, pork, turkey, venison or bison. From there, the list of ingredients may become very creative, including such foods as coffee, honey, dark chocolate, bananas and others.

Great American Pizza Bake (2nd Week)

Sometimes pizza gets a bad rep for not being healthy. When you make homemade pizza, you are able to control the ingredients on it. Pizza can incorporate all food groups by adding fruit, vegetables, lean meat, low-fat cheeses, and whole grain crust and decreases the amount of saturated fat and salt.

Better Baking Mix pdf (Source: Washington State University Extension) Make this mix with part whole wheat flour and use for pancakes, muffins, biscuits, and more.

TIP: Make your own blueberry pancakes by folding into the batter 1/2 to 1 cup fresh or pourable frozen blueberries per each cup of flour. For added fruit flavor, top with fruit sauce of berry jam instead of syrup and butter.

TIP: Though pancakes taste best fresh from the griddle, they can be held briefly as you make others by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200 F oven.

Canned Food Month

Canned fruit and vegetables are great to incoporate into your healthy lifestyle, but you need to be careful. Some canned fruits have a lot of added sugars or syrups, so choose fruits packed in 100% juice or water. Some canned vegetables contain a lot of added salt, so choose "no salt" added, or drain and rinse before eating them.

Research has shown canned foods can be as high in nutrients as and sometimes higher than fresh foods.

Are canned foods still safe after a year? Two years? Longer? USDA gives the answer under their Common Questions section.

Hot Breakfast Month

This campaign emphasizes the importance of starting each day by eating a healthy breakfast. While breakfast can be healthy without being hot, the colder days of February are a great time to enjoy a hot breakfast.

Breakfast literally means "break the fast" after not eating since the night before. People who eat breakfast usually perform better in school and on the job.

Grapefruit Month

Grapefruit got its name because of the way it grows in clusters, like grapes, on trees. Eating grapefruit is a tangy, flavorful way to add vitamin C to our diets. Most of our grapefruit comes from Florida.

Learn how to store and prepare grapefruit from fruits & veggies more matters.

Sweet Potato Month

Sweet potatoes are fat free, sodium free, high in vitamins A and C and a good source of fiber and potassium. A medium, 5" long, 2" diameter sweet potato only has about 130 calories. Check these links for more ideas for cooking with sweet potatoes.